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Category Archives: Politics

In continuing our look at T’Khasi (the planet Vulcan) in Surak’s time, listed below are all the major cities that have been identified on the continent of Na’nam. Click on the map link to see Vulcan at the Time of the Awakening as depicted by artist T’Rel. If you have any questions or insights, or find any errors, please leave a comment or contact me at sidzhan.tgai@gmail.com

This capital city began as a fort erected 5,000 years before the Time of the Awakening to guard the entrance to the oasis at Ku-li t’Nal’Shin (The Valley of Nal’Shin) in the Kingdom of Irik. The Mahn’heh and Iriki peoples warred constantly over this fertile region and its resources.

Ara’Kahr2

There was a bio attack on this coastal city in Kir during Surak’s youth. Although records of the war have been lost, the weapon is believed to have been launched from Tat’sahr, based on trajectory analysis. The remnant that survives from the song The Heroes of Ara’Kahr suggests that Kir and Tat’sahr were ancient rivals.

Chi-ri3

Located in north-central Zhial, Chi-ri was a walled fortress guarding the border that the nation shared with the Kingdom of Raal in Surak’s time. Chi-ri was successful for a time in holding back the tide of Sudoc’s expansionist excursions, but the Eiktra t’Plak (Plain of Blood) is aptly named. It is estimated that 9,000 perished there in the Sudocian wars. Chi-ri is now the headquarters of the Vulcan Subministry of Agriculture.

Dahhana’Kahr4

Shi’alan literary references merely state that Dahhana’Kahr was a city “some distance from Shi’Kahr.” Vulcan Science Academy excavations have now identified the ruins at the foot of the L’langon Mountains in Khomi as the remains of Dahhana’Kahr. The walled city dates back to the First Dynasty.

de’Khriv5

Presently located in central Shi’al Provence, de’Khriv receives nearly 2,000,000 tourists annually. It was formerly the capital of the Lhai nation but is best known as the home of Surak and possibly his birth place. Surak worked for a time as an accountant in his father’s firm located in the city. De’Khriv supported about 250,000 inhabitants at the Time of the Awakening.

Devlarm6

Standing on what was once the eastern boarder of Lhai, the ruins of Devlarm are a reminder of the total devastation caused by anger and revenge. Here the warlord Dvir financed and developed the first Vulcan ship capable of spaceflight, but before it could be commissioned, it – along with 90% of the population were vaporized in a neutron blast by the warlord Nu’Val of Duveh. Nu’Val feared that by winning the space race, the nation of Lhai would soon take over the continent. Devlarm’s population then was just over 1,000,000. The place is now called Da’Kum’Ulchra (City of Shadows).

Dzhaleyl7

The walled city of Dzhaleyl ( sometimes spelled Jaleyl), located at the mouth of the River Na’Ri on Raal’s west coast was a sovereign city-state over 8,000 years ago. About 300 years before the birth of Surak, it was absorbed into the Kingdom of Raal, ruled by Sudoc at the Time of the Awakening. For much of its existence, Dzhaleyl’s economy has been based on coastal commerce. In the age of sail, it was a busy port of entry for those traveling from the western continent. Dzhaleyl trade-lords controlled all traffic up and down the river and exacted steep tolls. It was here that an early writing system was developed and inscribed on clay tablets, much in the same way cuneiform was used on Earth. The Kir’Shara was preserved in this script.

Dzhaya’an’Kahr8

Not much is known about this coastal city in Raal, the walls of which were uncovered about 100 years ago. A dozen clay tablets, shipped from Dzhaleyl to the House of Dzhaya’an, were found in strata dating from over 6,000 years ago. The city was destroyed in the Sudocian wars.

K’lan9

For millennia, K’lan was the only settlement in the Kingdom and continent of Zhir’tan, a region continuously plagued by devastating earthquakes. The kingdom grew wealthy from the rich kevas deposits and in ore lying scattered across the plains and in veins deep below the surface. In 2265, K’lan was destroyed by a massive quake and sank into the Straits of Ha’zan.

Khir’Ahl10

Khir’Ahl was once the capital of Kir and a prosperous port in ancient times. As a city-state, it was its own kingdom. The tale of Sulen and T’Vhet begins in Khir’Ahl. As the unrest continued in Surak’s time, its population dwindled to a mere 33.5% of what it once had been, and the capital was moved to Kir’Kahr.

Kir’Kahr11

The rolling grasslands of southeastern Kir were the breadbasket of the kingdom and as such were fiercely guarded in the Time of the Awakening. With the pollution of the Thanor Sea, the marine food supply grew scarce and disease ran rampant through the coastal population. The fortress complex at Kir’Kahr was erected to protect the surrounding farmland and the population flocked there. Today the city’s population is around 140,000.

Nah’namKir12

For centuries, the city of Nah’namKir had served as the capital of Lalirh, a kingdom in the Time of the Awakening that is now a part of the Tat’sahr Province. Nah’namKir was for the longest time the northernmost settlement in Na’nam until the town of Retakh grew up around a robotics research station.

Regar13

In Surak’s time, this busy trade center was known as Regar. Sometime after the unification of Raal Province under the reformed government, the city was officially renamed Vulcana Regar. It had been a place of mass torture and execution in the Sudocian wars, much like the Auschwitz of Earth. The very name of Regar was an embarrassing stain in Vulcan history. Therefore, various politicians sought to change it to Vulcana, a name that proved to be the most popular with religious leaders. But city officials refused to accept it saying that it was illogical to sweep the past – and the name along with it – under the proverbial rug. The compromise of Vulcana Regar was suggested and accepted. Today the city, now the capital of Raal, is a flourishing spaceport.

Retakh14

The city of Retakh is T’Khasi’s northernmost settlement. In the Time of the Awakening, it was a small seaport in the Kingdom of Lalirh, inhabited by 1,500 people. It is the only city to be established in the frozen wastelands of the arctic region. Its sister city Nah’namKir lies on the fringe of the arctic circle and its snowpack thaws during the two hottest summer months. In Surak’s time, Retakh was a research center in robotics and AI.

Shanai’Kahr15

Shanai’Kahr was an industrial town in the heart of Zhial. Its factories were devoted to the aerospace industry and were bombed by Raalan forces in Surak’s time.

Shi’Kahr16

Home of the Vulcan Science Academy and now the planet’s legislative capital, Shi’Kahr had a rich and variegated past. As an oasis in the Desert of Sas-a-Shar, Shi’Kahr was fought over by numerous warlords and dynastic families for thousands of years and was sacked more times than history has recorded. Some of the walls which divide the city’s quarters and neighborhoods have stood for millennia and the oldest trees still thrive here. It was at the Suta Temple in the heart of Shi’Kahr that Surak and his followers were first allowed to teach.

Sura’Kahr17

The city of Sura’Kahr remains to this day a popular resort town on the coast of Raal. Some of the stately homes, dating back to Surak’s time, belonging to the oldest ruling families can be seen high upon the white sandstone cliffs.

T’Lingshar18

Once Surak’s teachings began to take hold later in his life, he settled in Shi’al on the outskirts of the city of T’Lingshar, located on the northern edge of the L’langon Mountains, southwest of Shi’Kahr. There an enclave of followers quickly grew up around him. It became a gathering place for artists, writers, musicians, and thinkers. Today the city is the most cosmopolitan on Vulcan with permanent residences for offworlders. Some accounts claim that Surak’s life ended here in execution on the Bloodstone where thousands had been executed over the centuries.

T’Paal19

The walled city of T’Paal, located on the cliffs of Gol overlooking the Voroth Sea, served as the capital of Gol for millennia. In the Time of the Awakening, it lay on the Gol-Raalan boarder and defended Golic maritime interests. Today the Vulcan Science Academy has an extensive campus there.

Ta’Vistar20

The city of Ta’Vistar, capital of Tat’Sahr, dates back 25,000 years when it was a nomadic oasis before it became a walled fortress. In the Old Quarter, the streets are so narrow that only foot traffic can get through. Today Ta’Vistar is also divided into a Market Quarter, Academy Quarter, and a Government Quarter where the old palace is located. It is estimated that Ta’Vistar predates Shi’Kahr by about 7,000 years.

Ta’Vaish21

This port city on the coast of Tat’Sahr was ancient even in Surak’s day. Lords of Ta’Vaish developed considerable wealth from an exclusive trade agreement with the Kingdom of Kel across the Thanor Sea along with other locations on the continent of Han-Shir.

ta’Valsh22

This small town on the northern end of the al-Stakna range in the Tekeh region saw its fair share of hostilities during Surak’s time. The Mahn’heh and Lalirhi battled over the region on numerous occasions, leaving the nation of Ovek caught in their crossfire. Ovek came to the aid of ta’Valsh to repel invasions.

Te’Rikh23

The city of Te’Rikh, capital of the Kingdom of Lassirihen, is known for its waterfalls – both man-made and natural. Tours of the palace and large estates, with elaborate fountains and water features, dating back to Surak’s time are popular day trips.

Zhen’tal24

Today Zhen’tal (sometimes spelled Xen’tal), home of the Vulcan Institute of Defensive Arts, is a small village on the eastern edge of the Zadik Mountains in Gol. At the Time of the Awakening, it was a city of nearly 500,000, but the population dwindled as the region became more seismically unstable.

The planet Vulcan was most commonly known as T’Khasi to its inhabitants during the Time of the Awakening. T’Khasi throughout Surak’s lifetime was in a state of extreme turmoil. Wars raged over its surface and borders shifted constantly as territory was lost and won or abandoned due to deadly radiation levels.

So much data and artifacts of civilization were destroyed during the Sudocian wars that it’s difficult to get an accurate picture of Vulcan geography. How was the land through which Surak walked configured? How many borders did he have to cross to travel from his home in de’Khriv to Mount Seleya? Where was the Pa Ut’ra, the fabled Place of Insight? By what name did Surak know Da’kum’Ulcha, the City of Shadows? A simple map would help answer these questions.

Back in March, I contacted the Archivist of the Vulcan Academy of Cultural Heritage to see if any maps showing political boundaries, settlements, and topography had been located from the Time of the Awakening. Today I received the first map released by the Academy, reconstructed through the work of Dr. Sarahl of the History Department and Dr. T’Par, Head of the Archaeology Department at the Vulcan Science Academy.

Through literary and historical references and archaeological excavations, 16 nation-states have been identified in the Eastern hemisphere. Below is a brief description of each with source documentation following. All borders are approximate. Spellings have been standardized. In the next few weeks, I’ll post descriptions of major settlements and natural features found on the map.

Gol1

At the Time of the Awakening, Gol was a southwestern kingdom, largely unpopulated, in Na’nam. Due to the extreme desert climate, frequent earthquakes, solar flares, and violent electrical storms, the Province of Gol today remains virtually unchanged from Surak’s time. Settlements clustered in arable strips of farmland along the coast, highly mobile caravans, or mountain caverns. T’Paal remains Gol’s capital city.

Irik2

The Kingdom of Irik was a nation-state bordering on Lhai, Raal, Duveh, Lassiri’hen, Mahn’hen, Ovek, Tekek, Lalirh, and Tat’sahr. Being completely landlocked, it was often in direct competition with its neighbors for resources. It came into conflict on several occasions with Lhai, Surak’s homeland, during Surak’s lifetime, but details of the conflicts have been lost. The Lesser Sea lay within its borders, and Aba’Kur had long been its capital.

Khomi3

The Kingdom of Khomi, located in southeast Na’nam, was another geographically unstable region with few settlements outside of the caverns of the L-langon Mountains. Its wealth came from mining operations, automated back to the time of Surak. The city of Dahhana’Kahr was its largest settlement and served as its capital until it was destroyed sometime in the late 300s by Shi’al forces. It was most likely at this point when Shi’al gained access to the Thanor Sea through land annexed east from Mount Tar’hana.

Kir4

The Kingdom of Kir, like its western counterpart Raal, was a maritime region with more temperate climate in its coastal lowlands on the Thanor Sea. The volcanic plains in the Mount Tar’Harna region were long a traditional boarder between Shi’al and Kir until Shi’al forces seized control of the barren plains in the War of Dahhana’Kahr and pushed to the sea at the expense of both Khomi and Kir. The Clan of K’vec ruled Kir and was ancient even in Surak’s time. Their opulent fortress at the capital of Kir’Kahr has been restored, but their most lavish estates are at Ara’Kahr and Khir Ahl.

Lalirh5

Throughout Surak’s lifetime, the Kingdom of Lalirh in northwestern Na’nam was engaged in conflict with the neighboring state of Mahn’hen. Both wished to gain control of the Tekeh area, a region rich in ores and minerals. When Lalirh launched a nuclear attack against Mahn’hen, the missiles fell short of their target and destroyed the neighboring state of Ovek.

Lassiri’hen6

This northwestern kingdom warred with its neighbor to the south, the Kingdom of Duveh, for mining rights in the al-Stakna Mountains. Its capital was Ta’Rikh.

Lhai7

The Kingdom of Lhai was a land-locked nation centered on the Cheleb-Khor Desert and the Arlanga Mountains. The Womb of Fire, a no-man’s land, lay on its western edge. In ancient times, caravans traversed the Caves of Kulvir, which linked the major population centers of the south with the Temple of Anonak and the northern deserts beyond. De’Khriv, the home of Surak, was its capital. Lhai was at times in conflict with the Kingdom of Irik over boundary disputes in the central grasslands.

Mahn’hen8

The people of Mahn’hen, the Mahn’heh, were often at war with the Iriki over the control of the Valley of Nal’Shin. Near the end of Surak’s life, the Temple of A’morak was established in an attempt to bring peace to the region. Mahn’hen also battled the Kingdom of Lalirh for the rich mines in the Tekeh area.

Na’nam9

Of the three continents that comprise the planet T’Khasi, Na’nam is the largest. Scientists believe that it was here in the Na’Ri River Valley that the Vulcan species evolved. Millennia-old fossil finds discovered near Lake Yuron support this hypothesis. The fossil evidence also suggests the early vulcanoids migrated across the land bridges in the polar regions and down through the continent of Han’shir prior to the cataclysm.

Ovek10

While Surak was young, the nation-state of Ovek in northwestern Na’nam was devastated by a nuclear bomb launched by the Kingdom of Lalirh against the Kingdom of Mahn’hen. Although there were no major population centers at ground zero, the people of Ovek continued to suffer from radiation sickness and related diseases. Today the region is the location of six water reclamation and desalinization facilities as well as a breeding ground for migrating birds.

Raal11

The Kingdom of Raal on the west coast of Na’nam grew up around Vulcan’s oldest settlements. Dzhaleyl, Dzhaya’an’Kahr, Sura’Kahr, and Regar all predate Surak by over a millennia. Except for the Fire Plains in the north, Raal contains some of Vulcan’s most geologically stable areas and arable land. By the time Surak was a young man, Raal had expanded to include all of Zhial and the western half of Gol. Today the Province of Raal stretches from the River Na’Ri to the pole and contains most of Vulcan’s navigable coastline along the Voroth Sea. In ancient times Raal was also known for its swordmakers who dwelt at the foot of T’Regar and forged their steel in the volcano’s fires.

Shi’al12

The Kingdom of Shi’al had the distinction of being one of the few nations to hold out against the control of Sudoc’s mindlords. Shi’Kahr, its walled capital, was one of the last strongholds of resistance, along with the adepts of Seleya in Zhial. Throughout most of the Sudocian wars, Shi’al enjoyed an alliance with Kir, Khomi, and Lhai, but a century into the hostilities, Sudoc’s mindlords were able to turn Kir and Khomi against Shi’al. The kingdom faced attacks on three sides. Many Shi’alans were captured during the wars and taken to T’lingshar where they were tortured and executed by the Kolinahru, Sudoc’s most powerful and cruelest mindlords. Today the Province of Shi’al borders Tat’sahr. The Kingdom of Lhai was absorbed into Shi’al not long after Surak’s death when the dynastic clans of Lhai left their lands to live a monastic life at the Temple of Amonak. The rulers of Shi’al agreed to be custodians of the territory.

Tat’Sahr13

Today the Province of Tat’Sahr is known for its vast hydroponic farms in the Viltan Flats of its northeastern region where the temperatures averages 40 degrees cooler than the equatorial region. In Surak’s time, the Kingdom of Tat’Sahr was bordered by Lalirh, Irik, Lhai, and Kir – all of which were absorbed into Tat’Sahr about 200 years after the Time of the Awakening during a phase of government restructuring. The region is geologically stable now, but in ancient times there were frequent earthquakes in Irik to the west and active volcanic eruptions in the al-Stakna range, which brought valuable ores to the surface. Tat’Sahr’s warlords frequently battled with those of Irik and Lhai to gain and control access to these vital resources.

Tekeh14

Both the Mahn’heh and Lalirhi disputed over this area, which was a protectorate of Ovek in the Time of the Awakening. Wars over access to rich ores in the al-Stakna Mountains continued for centuries.

Yiliw15

The nation of Yiliw was a protectorate of Gol at the Time of the Awakening and was located at its southernmost tip. Like Zhir’tan across the Straits of Ha’zen, Yiliw was geologically unstable, with the bulk of its population clustered in coastal regions and underwater mining rigs. It was later absorbed into Gol during the governmental restructuring.

Zhial16

The Kingdom of Zhial (sometimes spelled Xial), home of Mount Seleya, was a war-ravaged land at the Time of the Awakening. Seleya’s priests and adepts held back the mindlords of Sudoc for as long as they could before thousands were slaughtered on the Plain of Blood. Today, although the Province of Zhial is equatorial desert, it is now Vulcan’s breadbasket, where huge gravbarges, loaded in the cool of night with fresh produce, streak off in a trail of flashing lights to deliver their goods to major population centers.

Zhir’tan17

Formerly a kingdom at the Time of the Awakening, Zhir’tan (sometimes spelled Xirtan) is plagued by seismic activity and has never been overly populated. The city of K’lan, long its capital and only settlement, was destroyed by a massive quake and sank into the Straits of Ha’zen in 2265. Rich kevas deposits and loose ore could be found in Suk’Erg (The Great Erg) – a vast plain – throughout Zhir’tan’s early history.